Manfrotto MKBFRTC4GT-BH Befree Advanced GT Camera Tripod Kit Travel Tripod with Ball Head Portable Compact Professional Carbon Camera

I'd been using a rickety old tripod my father bought at a yardsale for $5. It works, but the joints wobble (bad design even when new) and it could never quite match the camera lense to my height (6'2"), so I found myself sometimes propping it on small objects to give the same vantage point. I put a Manfrotto bottom plate on there and installed the top plate on every camera I own including the GoPro, so at least popping on a camera was easy. Because I grew to love the Manfrotto system so much, I looked into their tripods and got the tubular aluminum version. I really like it. Not such a fan of the "M" latch. I think the brass pin is easier than trying to lower a plastic tab with one hand, but it is doable with practice. The legs and joints are so much more sturdy than my old aluminum tripod, yet about the same weight. On weight- comparing aluminum vs. carbon fiber, I see very little reason not to go with the aluminum. It can raise the camera a whole length farther than my old one as well. I was a little annoyed by the beefy stiffness of the joints, but found this could be fine tuned by backing each of the three screws out about 1/2 turn from tight. By fullying removing only two of the three screws at a time and dabbing their tips in blue Loctite, I was able to get the threadlocking done on all three in an assembled state. I then toyed with exact leverage until the frictions were just right. I like the microphone stand style leg tightening as well, but find myself forgetting which way is which. Again, will just take practice. Read more

This is an excellent tripod if you are watching your gear weight and/or traveling. You do sacrifice a bit of sturdiness for mobility, although so far I've never had an issue with wind or anything causing camera shake. It will hold my DSLR mounted with a 70-200 no problems at all when everything is tightened down. I primarily use this for hiking and it was a welcome and long overdue upgrade from my aluminum Manfrotto 055. The quality has been superb and after a few months of outdoor use I have been very pleased with this tripod. Note that if you are using an L bracket, you will need to purchase an adapter to replace the quick release system. something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YCWMHF1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Read more

I went from amazon basics tripod to this. It felt like going from a fiat to Lamborghini. To setup the trip was simple. The turn knobs for the tripod legs feels solid. The tripod feels of pure quality. To lock your camera on the head is a breeze except the first time takes a little time to figure out after which it’s a simple. Also quite compact I feel like I can carry this thing anywhere I was to go. Downsides it’s expensive for me but I won’t competition so got it at a really good price. To get it to got really low you have to remove the middle section and then push it in from the bottom. You can find pictures on amazon showing this arrangement or on google. This is the only part I don’t find to seemless. Not a deal breaker as I don’t use this mode. Read more

I had to buy a separate tripod head to accommodate my Swiss-Arca gear. Other than that, it's a good tripod, compact and strong. Read more

The GT-twist same ball head as the 055 (40% more expensive) and 190 (23%) more expensive. Convenient twist leg latches that work from any angle instead of the 1-position tabs. Great balance between strength, weight and sturdiness. It came with the nice quick release latch, but for my Nikon Z fc (retro) I'll need to file the plate some in order to be able to use the battery/SD card door while the latch plate is on. Small issue considering the universal plate. Read more

The first truly portable tripod from Manfrotto combining portability and sturdiness. Love the twist lock mechanism and the precision and ease of use of the new ball head. Unsure about the new plate, but works fine with my Canon cameras. Legs inclinations can be varied in a very simple way. Not used yet, but the presence of the iLink connector another plus. Quite expensive, but worth the money Update Used it twice since I bought it. I remove the head to use it with my platypod - a flat plate - and then remounted it on the Tripod. It turned out that I cannot remove it anymore. I guess an internal component got loose, preventing the head from unscrewing from the tripod. Disappointing. Bought some repair components demo Manfrotto in the UK: excellent service and assistance. Read more

A MUST HAVE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS ON THE GO! Read more

Not sure I got the right one. the $300 dollar does not look much different then the $100 one. Read more